The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-09-03
Adoption Of the Constitution of the U.

THE LAST DAYS OF THE CONVENTION

| he committee to whom the COnStit u
ton was referred for the arrangement of
its articles and the revision of it's style
! Morris, Madison, and KING. The final
draft Of the instrument was written by
! Gouvelncur Morris, who knew how to re-
| j2ct redundantand equivocal expressions,
and to use language with cearness and
yigor; but the convention itself had given
SO minute, long continued, and Oft re-
newed attention to every phrase in every
section, that there scarcely remained
room for improvement except il the dis
tribution of its parts.
Its first wosds are: We the people Of
the United States, in order to form a more
perfect union, to establish justice, ensure
domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of lib
erty to ourselves and our posterity, DO
Ordain aud establish this constitution Cor
| the United States of America" Here is
no transient compact between parties; it
is the institution of government by an
act OF the highest sovereignty; the decree
of many who are yet one; their law of
laws, lnviolably supreme, and not to be
changed except in the way which their
| forecast has provided.
The names of the thirteen states, so
| nnr full Il
of independence and in the treaty of peace,
were omitted, because the constitution
was so into effect on its acceptance by
nine OF them, and the states by which it
would be ratified could not be foreknown.
The deputies in the convention, repre-
senUing but eleven states, did not pre-
tend to be ''the people," and could not
institute general government in its
name. The instrument which they
| framed was lie the report of bill be-
| ginning with the words cit is enacted, !"
though the binding enactment awaits the
will of the legislature; or like a deed
drawn up by an attorney for several par
ties, and awaiting it's execution by the
principals them selves Olly by its ac-
| ceptance could the words I'VE the people
of the United States become words of
truth and power.
The phrase general welfare" adopted
from the articles of confederation, though
seemingly vague, was employed in ARG
idly restrictive sense to signify ''the con-
Germs of the union at large, not the par
ticular policy of any state" The word
''nationaP' was excluded from the con-
stitution, because 1t mig ht seem to pre-
sent the idea of the union of the people
without at the same time bringing into
view that the one republic was formed
out of many states. Toward foreign
powers the country presented itself as
one nation.
The arrangement Of the articles and
sections is faultless; the style of the
whole is nearly so. The branches of the
egislature are definitively named senate
and house of representatives., the senate,
at last, having precedence; the two to-
gether take the historic name of con-
gress.
The veto of the president could still be
overruled only by three fourths of each
branch of congress; the majority of the
convention, fearing lest so large re-
QUESTION would impose too great diff
Guilty in repeating bad laws, at this last
moment substltutedthe vote of two thirds
Williamson pointed out the necessity
of providing for juries in civil cases. at
is not possible" said Gorham, ''to dis
criminate equity cases from those in
which juries would be proper; and the
matter may safely be trusted to the rep
resentatives of the people" Gerry urged
the necessity of juries as a safeguard
| against corrupt judges. ga general
principle laid down on this and some
other points would be sufficient" said
Mason, and he Joined with Gerry in NOV
ing for a bill of rights.
The declaration of American indepen-
dence, by the truths which it announced,
called forth sympathy IN all parts of the
world. Could the constitution of the
United States have been accompanied by
a like solemn declaration of the princi-
pies on which it rested, the states would
have been held together by the hottest
aid strongest bonds. But the motion
was lost by the unanimous vote of ten
states, Massachusetts being absent, and
Rhode Island and New York not repre-
sented
The style of the executive. as silently
carried forward from the committee of
detail, was still chs Excellency;" this
vanished in the committee of revision,
SO that he might be known only as the
president of the United States.
Following a precedent of the first con-
gress, Mason, on the thirteenth, second
ed by johnson, moved for committee to
report articles of association for en-
couraging economy, frugality, and
American manufactures. 1t was adopted
without debate and without opposition.
The proposal was referred to Mason,
Franklin, Dick inson, johnson, and Will
liam Livingston; but they made no re-
| port.
From the work of the committee of
detail the word "servitude" survived as
| applied to the engagement to labor for a
term of years on the motion of Ran
| dolph the word Service" was unanl-
nously substituted for it, servitude be-
| ing thought to express the condition of
slaves, service an obligation of free per-
| sons.
On the same day johnsol, from the
committee on style, reported resolutions
| for the ratification of the constitution
| through congress by conventions of the
people of the several states and then for
the election of senators, representatives.,
and electors and through them of presi-
| dent. Nothing was omitted to make it
certain that at fixed time and place the
government under the constitution would
start into being.
On the fourteenth it was confirmed
without dissent that congress should have
no right to change the places of the elec-
ton of senators.
The appointment of the treasurer rs
the keeper of the purse had thus far been
jealousy reserved to the two houses of
congress. 1t marks the confidence of the
convention in its own work, that at this